The American Spectator

Over at The Weekly Standard, Bill Kristol tells us that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is planning another run at the White House:

Rudy’s message: I’m tough enough to put our fiscal house in order and to protect us from enemies abroad. The U.S. in 2012 is in bad shape-like New York in 1993. The budget crisis is as severe-and seemingly intractable-as the crime/welfare crisis was in New York then. Rudy dealt with that when people said it couldn’t be done. He’ll deal with this.

Isn’t his abysmal 2008 campaign a disqualifier? Rudy’s answer: Consider the New York parallel. Rudy lost to David Dinkins in 1989, making several unforced errors and running without a focused message. In 1993, as the streets of New York plunged into crisis, Rudy ran a disciplined campaign pledging to turn the city around. He won, and in a disciplined first term, he governed successfully.

Well, anyone who walks through Times Square without fear of being accosted has Giuliani to thank. His achievements were tangible and they have endured. Giuliani changed New York City for the better. However, Obama isn’t a milquetoast like Dinkins. Obama plays for keeps. Why else would he pick a DNC Chair who does not hesitate to liken Republicans to Jim Crow? The problem with the “New York parallel” is that Giuliani is applying it to a Chicago politician. I like Rudy but I’m not sure if he is up for this fight.